Former England international Wayne Rooney expressed skepticism about the current England squads, asserting that he doesn’t believe they display a better attitude than his own “golden generation.” He remarked that his team “fell short of the goal.”
This week, ex-Three Lions captain Steven Gerrard ignited controversy by claiming that the team’s failure to secure silverware was due to key players being “egotistical losers.”
Gerrard, who earned 114 caps for England from 2000 to 2014, stated, “we weren’t a team.”
While discussing the topic on his podcast, The Wayne Rooney Show, Rooney disagreed with Gerrard, with whom he played during a highly talented generation that featured Paul Scholes, David Beckham, and Michael Owen.
The Croxteth-born striker made 120 appearances for England over 15 years, scoring 53 goals—a record only surpassed by Harry Kane.
Neither Gerrard nor Rooney ever advanced beyond a major tournament semi-final with England, whereas the national team reached the finals of Euro 2020 and 2024, and the semifinals of the 2022 World Cup.
“It’s clear we didn’t win anything,” Rooney noted.
“I wouldn’t articulate it that way, but I understand his perspective. There were many strong personalities in the locker room,” he added. “I wouldn’t say [current England squads have a] better attitude. That feels disrespectful to us as players because we put in the effort and did our best. We just couldn’t quite achieve it.”
While acknowledging that they could have performed better given their talents, he maintained, “It just wasn’t meant to be.”
Rooney elaborated on the evolving dynamics within the team, stating that relationships among players from rival clubs have improved significantly.
“Today, you see rival players training together before returning to preseason—like Phil Foden and Marcus Rashford, for instance.”
“It’s a different era. The media coverage is vastly improved. Players now interact better with the media, which creates a more positive impression from the outside.”
Gerrard, speaking on the Rio Ferdinand Presents podcast, mentioned that some Manchester United and Liverpool players foster better rapport as pundits than they did as teammates on the national squad.
– Rogers firmly enters No. 10 debate for Tuchel’s England
– When can England qualify for the 2026 World Cup?
– Why has Bellingham, officially England’s best player, been dropped?
“I never felt a strong connection with my teammates while with the national team,” Gerrard stated.
Rooney agreed with Gerrard’s sentiment, adding, “It was tough to build that connection with players from Liverpool and Manchester United back then. It’s easier now.”
“I converse with Steven regularly. Nowadays, players can relax together over drinks, which enhances relationships.”
“I got along with everyone. I was friendly with all, but you could tell that Beckham, Gary Neville, and Scholes didn’t have the same closeness with Liverpool players as they did with each other.”
“Nonetheless, everyone put in the effort for one another. That was not a problem. We just didn’t get the breakthrough we needed. I didn’t perceive that as an issue at all.”
Both Rooney and Gerrard participated in six major tournaments for England but only made it to the quarterfinals.